Paul wrote:

About all I can say in a few words is that for me the integrating concepts are, first of all (no surprise) the vicious circle concept that has been at the heart of the cyclical psychodyamic vision from the beginning, and second an emphasis on contextualism, which enables both the integration of different views and, important to me, a sorting out of those "relational" approaches which are, in certain respects, perhaps not as relational as they first seem from those which are more thoroughgoingly relational.
wrote:

Judy replies:

I will definately look forward to reading your book when it is published. I find your second point very relevant-your sorting out process of various relational approaches...what relational aspects they emphasize, which ones are only partially relational or include both one and two-person psychologies and how, and which ones are fully contextual and relational. I think that question is relevant for Control-Mastery as well.I hope we take up this theme as a major topic of inquiry here.

I was just reading an article by Donnel Stern called the Fusion of Horizons (Psy. Dial. 13(6): 843-873, 2003 in which he describes a viscious circle or "deadlock" that he and his patient enacted and describes how their dissociated self-states (Donnel's as well)locked in together and how they found their way through. In the process he articulates his contextual understanding of dissociation and enactment. I found myself thinking of your cyclical dynamics of both therapist and patient that might be seen as becoming engaged in those moments. I wondered if his work resonates with you.

Judy